Writing instrument having a retractable writing member



M. TANNER 3,413,747

A RETRACTABLE WRITING MEMBER Dec. 3, 1968 WRITING INSTRUMENT HAVING 5 Sheets-Sheefl Filed Aug. 29, 1966 0 an 2 v n 2 1 u n mm n i," 'l'x' FN I I fJ/L w\\\\\\\\\\\ l IHI I I I I I I I I l u I I I I I I I I I \m\\ I L 5 n F! r I I r I I: E! 'd'fl ll 2 E WI 6 l 1. M W 8 5 7 PIC-3.2

Dec. 3, 1968 M. TANNER WRITING INSTRUMENT HAVING A RETRACTABLE WRITING MEMBER Filed Aug. 29, 1966 20a 1 l 20a 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 M. TANNER Dec. 3, 1968 WRITING INSTRUMENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 29, 1966 FIG. 5

Uted States Patent "ice ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure concerns a writing instrument having a retractable writing member and a calendar comprising two indicator devices one for the dates of the month, the other for the days of the week, the two indicator devices being displaced together for the indication of the date and being displaceable one with respect to the other for putting them into agreement, there being only one control member for actuating the writing member and the calendar.

Writing instruments are already known having retractable writing members, for example, pens equipped with calendars. In certain of these, the days of the month are distributed in seven fixed columns facing which a drum can be displaced carrying the days of the week; in others, these two indicators, that of the dates and that of the days of the Week can be displaced together, to pass from one day to the next and, moreover, one with respect to the other to put them in agreement at the beginning of a new month. But all these instruments have two control members, one for the writing member, and the other for the calendar. Conforming to the present invention, these two functions are carried out by one and the same control member.

The accompanying drawing represents, by way of example, one embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 1 is an axial section of its main part and FIGURE 2, a section along II-II of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a view of a detail, and

FIGURE 4 a schematic view of a secondary part.

FIGURE 5 is a detail view of the instrument.

In the exterior casing 6 is mounted the casing 13 which contain the essential part of the pen, in particular (see FIGURE 4) the writing point 30, the ink reservoir and the device for making the point pass from its exterior work position to its retracted position; all these features are well known and will not be described in detail; it will only be recalled that the spring 31 pushes the casing 13 from the bottom to the top against a stop, indicated below, and that to act on the writing point, one bears an instant on the casing 13, in opposition to this spring.

Reference numeral 1 is the drum of days of the month displacable behind the window 5, and reference numeral 14 is the single control member in the form of a cap, bearing at its periphery and in front of a fixed index mark 32, the names of the days of the week; this member is mounted on a socket 12 which is mounted on the casing 13 and which rests, by its shoulder 12a, on the end of this casing while being able to turn freely about itself.

The date drum 1 has, a usual, a finger 3 engaged in a helical groove 4 of the fixed sleeve 2. These dates of the month are disposed in a helix on the drum and, during the rotation of the latter, appears successively in the window 5.

The cap 14 can slide on the socket 12 and turn, by a seventh of a revolution, with respect to the latter. To this end, its interior periphery has a right section (see FIGURE 2) in the form of a polygon having seven Patented Dec. 3, 1968 sides and the exterior periphery of the socket has the same right section. A screw 17 is housed in the socket and screwed into the cap 14; a spring 18 disposed between the bottom of the socket and the head 17a of this screw maintains the cap engaged on this socket; the latter has, on its exterior periphery, a longitudinal groove 11 pro- \ided with an end piece 11a.

Between the two casings 6 and 13 is disposed the intermediate cylinder 9. It rests on the fixed sleeve 2 and supports (FIGURES l and 3) a sleeve 20 mounted in the cap 21 which is immobilised angularly by a stop 22 penetrating into an opening of the casing 6. The sleeve 20 can be displaced axially in the cap 21 and is guided in this movement by two projections 20a provided on the sleeve and which penetrate into two slots 21a in the cap; a separating spring 23 is disposed between this latter and the sleeve and the latter has seven equi-distant bosses 24 intended to engage with seven hollows 27 formed in the cylinder 9. The latter can turn freely about itself, but cannot be displaced axially; it has interiorly a finger 10 engaged in the groove 11 of the socket 12; and exteriorly, a longitudinal groove 8 in which the finger 7 of the date drum 1 can be displaced. The end piece 11a of the slot 11 of the socket 12 is applied by the spring 31 against the finger 10 which constitutes the stop mentioned above in the description.

The operation is the following:

In the course of a given day, the two indicators of the calendar, that of the dates of the month and that of the days of the week are immobilised, they are maintained in place by the device shown in FIGURE 3; if one wishes to make the writing point retract or project, it is sufficient to exert a pressure on the control member 14 then to release it. To pass to the following day, one turns the cap 14 by one seventh of a turn; it drives in this movement the socket 12 which actuates in rotation the cylinder 9 by the intermediary of its groove 11 and of the finger 10, and this cylinder, in turn, turns the date drum, with the finger 7 which it has and which is engaged in the groove 8. At the end of a month, if the latter does not have thirty one days, it is necessary to displace the two indicators to make them agree for the new month. With this in mind, the control member 14 is first of all turned by one or several sevenths of a turn until the date of the first day of the new month appears in the window 5. It is then necesary that the name of the day of the week appearing at this date appear above index 32; to this end, the cap 14 is drawn back, against the spring 18, so as to disengage it from the socket 12, and it is turned by the necessary amount and then released; it then returns to its original place under the action of the spring.

What is claimed is:

1. A writing instrument with a reading window and a fixed day indicator calendar comprising two indicator devices one for the dates of the month appearing in said window and the other for the days of the week, appearing above said fixed indicator, said instrument comprising an outer casing, a spring-biased central casing containing writing means retractably mounted in said outer casing, an axial socket rotatably mounted on said central casing, a rotatable and axially displaceable drum forming said indicator device for the date of the month, an intermediate cylinder disposed between said drum and said socket and rotatable about said socket and having an outer longitudinal groove and an inner projecting finger, operatively connected respectively with said drum and said socket, said socket having stop means against which said central casing is urged, an axially movable control member mounted on said socket and having on the periphery thereof the names of the days of the week above said fixed index, said member actuating said writing member by pressure on said socket for disconnecting said stop means from urging by said spring; said member being engaged with said socket so as to cause said socket and said drum to rotate so that the date shown on said drum in said window advances by 1 for each one-seventh of a turn of rotation by said member.

2. Writing instrument according to claim 1, wherein said drum has a projecting finger, said socket has a longitudinal groove and said intermediate cylinder has an exterior longitudinal groove engaging with said finger and 10 of said intermediate cylinder by said spring of said central casing.

4. Instrument according to claim 1, wherein said socket has a seven-sided inner periphery and said control mem- 5 ber is a cup having a seven-sided outer periphery engaged in said socket.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1906 Mathein 40-335 11/1965 Muller et a1. 40335 

